NCJ Number
176664
Date Published
1998
Length
36 pages
Annotation
This paper comparatively summarizes the experiences of Canada and eight other western industrialized societies with regard to firearm ownership and victimization, based on the 1996 International Crime Victim Survey (ICVS).
Abstract
The countries included in the ICVS were England and Wales, Scotland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Sweden, Austria, and the United States. The ICVS queried a random population sample regarding whether they had been victimized, the nature of victimization, attitudes toward crime and the criminal justice system, and household possession of a firearm. The survey indicated Canada was in the mid-range of firearm ownership. Nearly 22 percent of Canadian households possessed at least one firearm. Possession was highest in the United States (48.6 percent) and lowest in England and Wales, Scotland, and the Netherlands. Among Canadian regions, firearm ownership varied from 14 percent owning at least one gun in Ontario to 36 percent owning at least one gun in the Atlantic provinces. In four regions, firearm owners predominantly owned rifles (Atlantic provinces, British Columbia, Ontario, and Prairie provinces). In Quebec, firearm owners primarily owned shotguns. The percentage of firearm owners who owned a handgun varied from 6 percent in Quebec to 16.1 percent in British Columbia. In eight countries, hunting and sports were the most common reasons for possession of a firearm, with Switzerland's requirement for military possession being the only exception. Canada was in a group of five countries in which 3 to 4 percent of respondents reported being robbed at least once during the past 5 years. One percent of Canadians said they were victims of armed robbery, and 0.42 percent reported they were victims of a firearm-related attack. These percentages were similar to those of other countries, with the exception of the United States. U.S. respondents were more likely to be victims of an armed attack and were much more likely to be victims of a firearm-related attack. Respondents in all countries who were victims of a violent offense were more likely to be assaulted or threatened than robbed during the past 5 years. Canadian respondents were in the middle range of likelihood (12.7 percent). Assaults and threats with firearms were most common in the United States where more than 2 percent of respondents were assaulted or threatened with a firearm during the past 5 years. In all countries, firearm ownership was related to the size of the place of residence. Residents of the smallest communities were most likely to own a firearm, while residents of the largest communities were least likely to own a firearm. Questions asked on firearms are listed in an appendix. 10 references, 2 tables, and 12 figures